Tuesday, November 27, 2018 (8am-4:30pm) & Wednesday, November 28, 2018 (8am-12pm)
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond-Midlothian
1021 Koger Center Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23235

General Description
For the fifth consecutive year, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is pleased to offer the “STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS: Fostering Resiliency and Supporting the Development of Safe and Healthy Students from Kindergarten through College” forum on November 27-28, 2018 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond-Midlothian.

The purpose of this forum is to support schools, campuses, and their partners in their efforts to provide a positive and safe school and campus climate where students and staff feel supported no matter what their background, and are socially, emotionally, and physically safe to learn and work. Sessions will focus on the necessary components for improving school and campus climate. The forum will address the three components of the U.S. Department of Education’s Safe and Supportive Schools model of school climate – Student Engagement (relationships, respect for diversity, school participation), Safety (social-emotional safety, physical safety, substance use), and the School Environment (physical environment, academic environment, wellness, disciplinary environment). Participants will leave with tools and resources to bring back to their buildings and campuses for low cost and high impact implementation.

Experience in communities nationwide has shown that a nurturing school climate and uniform discipline practices are key elements of healthy and high achieving schools. We have learned that the zero-tolerance policies we once thought of as cutting edge simply do not work. They are, in fact, detrimental to the very climate that is needed to sustain learning and provide engagement and attachment for students in school.

Over the course of a day and a half, through a series of engaging keynotes and an opportunity for hands on access to local, and often free resources, participants will be afforded an opportunity to learn about climate, resiliency, mental health, and other important topics, and to share information and network with colleagues from around the state. The ultimate goal is for participants to return to their communities inspired and better equipped to help improve the learning climate. A plated lunch will be provided on Tuesday, and coffee will be provided on both days.

Forum Topics
Forum participants will receive current, research-based information and resources on topics including:

• Adverse childhood experiences and trauma, and how they shape relationships,
  
• Creating an understanding and empathic school culture,
  
• Evolving elementary, middle, high school, and college peer relationships,
  
• Helping students develop healthy dating relationships in a digital environment,
  
• Importance of building relationships before an emergency,
  
• Overcoming unhealthy climate issues in Virginia schools,
  
• The male/female brain from youth into adulthood,
  
• and others.
  

To register for this event, please go to this link: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/content/strengthening-connections-fostering-resiliency-and-supporting-development-safe-and-healthy